Excess stones and gravel on A92 causing “thousands of pounds worth of damage”

Rachel Campbell

Excess stones and gravel on the A92 coast road between Stonehaven and Inverbervie are causing “thousands of pounds worth of damage,” according to one Inverbervie resident.

Denis Smith was forced to replace his windscreen last week after a stray pebble flew up into his car windscreen and cracked it while he was driving on the A92. After finding that the same thing at happened to his neighbour on the stretch of road, Denis took to Facebook and discovered that almost 50 others had suffered the same fate travelling on the A92.

Denis said: “The road was dressed by Aberdeenshire Council last year, and I reported to them that there were a lot of stray stones. I saw a man sweeping the road near Benholm one day, but as far as I can tell nothing else has been done.

“Not only have lots of people had to replace damaged windscreens, I am also concerned that a pedestrian could be hit by a stone, and it obviously causes safety issues for cyclists and motorcyclists.”

Kincardine and Mearns Roads Manager, Ralph Singleton, said: “After completion of surface dressing on five separate sections of the A92 last summer, each was swept twice before the removal of ‘loose chippings’ warning signs.

“Subsequent to that, each site was again swept, given that further chip loss sometimes occurs from surface dressing work, and when residents contacted us, we swept the locations again.

“It is important to note that there are other sources of debris on road surfaces, such as agricultural and construction vehicles, especially during winter.

“If road users have concerns about a section of road they should contact us to arrange an inspection and any further sweeping will be carried out if necessary. Call 03456 081205 or report online: http://bit.ly/RoadFaults

“If any motorist is concerned about damage to their vehicle from debris, they could increase the distance between them and the vehicle in front for added security.”